Electric stop-motion for knitting-machines



(No Modell.)

A fC. DRAP-ER. BLEOTRIO STOP MOTION PORgKNITTINGMAOHIEs. l NO.382,593.Patented May 8., 1888..`

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i llh@j To all whom, t may concern.-

Y UNITED STATES.4

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES DRAPER, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS'.

ELECTRIC STOP- MOTION FOR KNITTlNc-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,593, dated May 8,1888.

Application filed January 25, 1858. Serial No. 261,876. (No model.)

Be it known that I, CHARLES DRAPER, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements lin ElectricStop-Motions for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

v,This invention relates to stop-motions for knitting-machines which areactuated by electricity atthe time of the breakage of theyarn or of anexhaustedl supply thereof; and the invention consistsin the constructionand combination of parts of and in relation to a knittingmachine, allsubstantially as will hereinafter more fully appear, and be set forth inthe claims. f

Reference is to be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings,in whichthe present inventionis illustrated, and in which similar characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of a knitting-machine, showing thelocation of thencedle-cylinder and the devices employed for actuatingtheshipper-lever. Fig. 2 is in part a side elevation and in part avertical cross-section of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detail view in -frontelevation illustrative of` an electric switch which is employed in thepresent improved machine. Y

. In the drawings, A represents the usual shipper or stopmotion lever,extending trans' Versely of the machine under the bed B, and pivotailysecured thereto atthe rear side thereof, as at a, its forward end, b,projecting` beyond the front of the machine, and intermediate of itslength said shipper-lever engages with the clutch C upon the gear whichengages the gearing for driving the knitting machinery in theneedle-cylinder D, or, when the latter is driven by a belt-and-'pulleyconnecv tion, said shipper-lever engages the belt or belts thereof, andsaid shipper-lever normally and under the action of a spring', E, willbe thrown or shifted so as to place the drivingconnections between themain shaft F and the knitting machinery out of operative engagement, andwhen in position to place the driving-connections into engagement theshipperlever is there retained or locked by theen- 'electro-magnet, 28.

gagement` therewith of a vertical bolt or plunger,"G, adapted to beprojected against -the spiral spring d and entered by its lower.

ranged and adapted to. dbear by a projection,

l 13, at its outer end portion upon-the upper end of thespring-plungerG, itsinner endpivotally engaging one,leg,'14,'of anangular lever, 15, pivoted, as at 1'6, in suitablestation'- aryear-pieces or bearings, its upwardly-ein y tending leg ltprojecting intoor vbeyond the horizontal plane of swing of one leg, 19, of ahorizontally-disposed angularflever, 20, pivoted,as at 2l, on asuitably-'elevated stationary platen, 22,`supported from the table, saidleg f19'of the horizontal angular lever being formed with a shoulder orhook, 23, 'for engagement with the vertical leg 18 of Langularlever 15.Above the plane of the horizontal y'angular lever 20 and turninginsuitable bearings or earpieces,24, of the platen 22 is a rocker-shaft,25,

provided at one end .with va .downwardly-extending leg, 26, at the lowerend of which is secured 'an armature, 27, in proximity with which andinthe usual manner is disposed 'an The other end of the rocker-shaft 25-has secured thereto orformed thereon adownwardly-extending projection orcrank-arm, 29, projected to lie against or alongside of the outer leg,30, of the said horizontal angular lever, a spring, 31, being apv pliedbetween a suitable abutment of the platen 22 and the side of the saidlever-leg 30 to place same normally in the position seen in Fig. 1,whereby the hooked portion 23 of l the other leg,19,will be in positionforengagement with the upwardly-extending leg of an gular lever 15. l

33 represents a contact block or knobon the forward extension of theshifter-lever A, and 34. represents a spring-plate secured on ianr inroosulating-block at the front of the machine-table, so formed that whenthe shifter-lever A is swung into the driving position, and asparticularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the springplate 34 will rest on thesaid contact-block 33 of the shifter lever.

35 represents a contact-plate suitably placed in or near the line oftravel of the yarn which passes from the supply to the knitting-needles,and 36 represents an arm intermediately hung, as at f, in suitablebearings, as 37, therefor, one end lying adjacent to the saidcontactfplate 35, and preferably provided with aspur or nose, 38, andsuch end is also provided with an eye, 40, and the other end, 39, ofsaid tilting arm is preferably counterbalanced.

41 42 represent yarn-guiding eyes.

Connections for electrically operating the` devices described are asfollows: From one pole of the battery o a wire, w, passes to thecontact-plate 35, and from the tilting arm 36 or some part of itssupport a wire, a', passes to the electro-magnet 28, and from thence awire, y, passes tothe spring or switching plate 34. From the other poleof the battery a wire, z, passes to a contact-point, m., on the bed ofthe frame.

In the guiding and travel of the yarn from the supply to theknitting-needles the same is passed through the eye 41, the eye 4() onthe end of the tilting arm 36, and then through the eye 42 and to theknitting-needles, and the yarn is to be under such tension that the end3S of` said arm 36 will be held above and oif of the contact-plate 35.If, however, from any cause during the running of the machine the yarnshould become severed, it will then cease to support said contacting end38 of the tilting arm,when such end,under its own weight, will fall to abearing upon the said contactplate 35 and a circuit will be closed, itbeing understood that the metallic parts of theknitting-machine completethe circuit between the spring-plate 34 and contact-point' m to thebattery, and obviously at the closing of the circuit the armature isattracted toward the electro magnet, rocking the lever 25, and throughits arm 29 forcing the end 30 of angular lever 20outwardly,withdrawingits hooked end 23 from the engagement with the armof angular lever18, when the outer end, 13, of lever 12 is allowed to bemoved upwardly, permitting the bolt G, under the react-ion of itscompressed spring, to be thrown outon engagement with the shipper-lever,when the latter, under the spring E, is swung horizontally-for instance,in the direction indicated by the arrows t-*in a manner to disengagc thedriving-connections and stop the knitting mechanism, and at such time ofmovement of said shipper-lever the contactbetween the spring-plate 34.and said shipper-lever is automatically broken, thus breaking thecircuit.

Other forms of switches or cut-outs than the spring-plate device 34shown may, if desired,

be employed; but such device is most simple and practicable.

What I claim as my invention isl 1. In a knitting-machine, thecombination, with the shipper-lever A, the spring-actuated bolt G, thepivoted lever 12, and the pivoted angular lever 15, of the pivoted levercomprising the hooked leg 19-and the leg 30, the rocking shaft 25,provided with an armature and the arm 29, engaging said lever-leg 30,the electromagnet 28, contact-plate 35, and the adjacent tilting arm 36,located in the line of travel of the yarn and adapted for being engagedand supported from said contact-plate thereby, a battery, o, andsuitable electrical connections for forming a circuit,substantiall y asdescribed, p

for the purpose set forth.

2. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the shipper-lever A, thespring-actuated bolt G, the pivoted lever 12, and the pivoted angularlever 15, of the pivoted lever compris-- ing the hooked leg 19 and theleg 30, the rocki'ng shaft 25, provided with an armature and the arm 29,engaging said lever-leg 30,the electro-magnet 28, contact=plate 35, andthe adjacent tilting arm 36, provided with the eye 40, the yarnsupporting and guiding eyes 41 42, a battery, e, and suitable electricalconnections forforming a circuit, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

3. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the shipper-lever A andthe spring-actuated bolt G, the pivoted lever 12, and the pivotedangular lever 15, of the pivoted lever comprising the-hooked leg 19 andthe leg 30, the rocking shaft 25, provided with an armature and the arm29, engaging said lever-leg 30, 'the electro-magnet 28, contact-plate35,and the adjacent tilting arm 36, located in the line of travel of theyarn and adapted for being engaged and supported away from saidcontactplate thereby, the contact-plate 34, arranged in relation to thesaid shipper-lever, substantially as described, a battery, o, andsuitable electrical conductors between said battery and saidcontact-plate 34, between said tilting arm 36 and the electro-magnet,the latter and said contact-plate 34, and said shipper-lever andbattery, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the shipper-lever A andthe spring-actuated bolt G, the pivoted lever 12, and the pivotedangular leverv15, of the pivoted lever comprising the hooked leg 19 andthe leg 30, the spring 31, bearing against the latter, the rockingshaft25, provided with an armature and the arm 29, engaging saidlever-leg 30, the electro-magnet 28, contact-plate 35, and the adjacenttilting arm 36, located in the line of travel of the yarn and adaptedfor being engaged and supported away from said contactplate thereby, abattery, v, and suitable electrical connections for forming acircuit,substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a knitting-machine, the combination,

IOO

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392,593 Y I e with the shipper-lever A and the spring-actuated bolt G,the pivoted lever 12, and the pivoted angular lever 15, of the pivotedlever comprising the hooked leg 19 and the 4leg 30, the spring 31,bearing against the latter, the rocking shaft 25, provided with anarmature and the arm 29, engaging said lever-leg 30, the` electro-magnet28, contactplate 35, and the adjacent tilting arm 36, provided -with theeye 40, the yarn supporting and guiding eyes 41 42, the contact-plate34, arranged in relation to the said shipper-lever, substantially asdedescribed. A

DRAPER.

Witnesses:

H. A. OHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN.

